Worth Waiting For
by Ila9182
Summary: Sharon kept staring in the direction she last saw Andy, only a couple of minutes before, as he waved at her one last time before disappearing around the corner. She felt her heart twitch and the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She didn't know how long she would be able to hold them back, as they were now threatening to fall at any moment. Post 4x14 "Taking the Fall".
1. Sharon

**Hi everyone! Here I am again with a new story! This time, it takes place after the episode "Taking the fall" and it's my take on what happens when Sharon is waiting for Andy to come back from surgery.**

 **I hope you'll like it and I just want to thank you all for the lovely reviews you've written to my previous stories, I really appreciate them and I love to hear from you all!**

 **I still have the same personal request as in my previous fic: NO SPOILERS since I still have to watch season 6. Thank you, I appreciate that.**

 **Big shout-out again to my Beta, eelise187, who patiently and quickly proofread my work and helps me every time to improve my stories and my English! And thank you so much for helping me with coming up with the title! The title idea was all hers!**

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 **WORTH WAITING FOR**

 _"_ _The longer you have to wait for something, the more you will appreciate it when it finally arrives. The harder you have to fight for something, the more priceless it will become once you achieve it. And the more pain you have to endure on your journey, the sweeter the arrival at your destination. All good things are worth waiting for and worth fighting for."_ **–** Susan Gale

Sharon Raydor didn't break down in front of people. This didn't mean that she didn't cry, she did actually, but she always did a good job of isolating herself during the tougher moments. She would shut herself in her office with the blinds closed, or in her bedroom late at night, and then let the tears freely stream down her face. She would cry over a tough case, especially if children were involved; she would cry after having an argument with Rusty; or she would cry when she felt particularly disappointed with herself. She was in fact an emotional person. She cried, she just didn't allow people the opportunity to see her at her weakest. Yet, now as she was standing in the hospital corridor after watching Andy be wheeled to surgery, she was no longer sure she would be able to stay strong. Sharon kept staring in the direction she last saw Andy, only a couple of minutes before, as he waved at her one last time before disappearing around the corner. She felt her heart twitch and the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. She didn't know how long she would be able to hold them back, as they were now threatening to fall at any moment.

She took a deep breath as her mind drifted to when she was standing in front of Andy in his hospital room. His doctor had just announced he would have the surgery immediately and she had sent the team, who had gathered to share Thanksgiving dinner with Andy, away. After the team left Sharon stood alone in front of Andy, she could have said anything, he could have said anything but as Andy had begun to speak she had cut him short saying "Andy, I'll wait for you."

She couldn't add anything more because his obnoxious doctor had kicked her out as well. _I'll wait for you._ Yes, it was a promise, that she would be here when he would got out of surgery but she wished she could have said something more. She wished she had told him how important he was to her, how happy he made her. She wished she had said what she felt, she wished she had been able to tell him those three words she was struggling to say, but she did not say any of this, she just smiled and told him she would wait.

 _She had every opportunity to say what she needed to say and she didn't say it. We can only wonder why._ Those words rang again in Sharon's mind. That was what she had told Andrea when the lawyer had informed her about Lily Palmer's situation. Deep down, Sharon knew too well that she wasn't talking about the case, but about herself and her inability of expressing her feelings.

She was brought back to reality with a light squeezing of her hand still being held by her turned to the right and saw Andrea smiling sadly at her before asking, "Sharon, are you okay?"

"Of course" Sharon answered, a little too quickly. She felt her throat tighten as she was having a hard time speaking. Her voice was hoarse when she repeated those words like a mantra, "I have faith. Everything will turn out okay."

Andrea nodded and Sharon took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions at bay. When she felt she was temporarily in control, she put on a brave smile and whispered to the lawyer, "Andrea, did you eat something? There's plenty of food..."

"Oh yeah, I did. Thank you, Sharon. I've just grabbed a few things and now I'm heading out. I still have a lot of things I need to take care of before tomorrow," she smiled at Sharon and let go of her hand before adding. "Can I bring you anything?"

"Oh no, thank you, Andrea. I'm fine."

"You're sure?" the lawyer asked with an inquisitive look. Sharon felt as if the other woman was studying her, trying to read on her face the proof that she wasn't really "fine."

"Positive." Sharon simply answered forcing a soft smile as she wrapped her now freed hands around her middle. Andrea didn't have the chance to ask more as they were interrupted by the dull sound of a tray falling to the floor. They turned around and saw Provenza bending down to pick it up. Sharon heard him curse and when he looked up, he caught the Captain's eyes. He looked at her apologetically and mouthed a silent "sorry" before turning to Julio and slapping his arm, "I said let's tidy silently. Do you need a definition of the word 'silently,' Julio?"

Sanchez rolled his eyes as he helped clean up, along with Tao who had jumped in to sweep up the mess. Amy smirked while she was covering the remaining food and putting it away. Sharon looked at them from the distance and felt bad for standing on her own and not joining them, but she didn't feel like being surrounded by people. She needed to be alone as she was processing everything that had happened in such a short time. She wasn't strong enough to stand with her team and pretend she was alright while her mind was in fact wrapped up in worry over Andy. However, she appreciated the fact that they all put their lives on hold to be there for Andy and she smiled thinking that they were indeed a family. Four years ago, when she became the head of Major Crimes, she didn't think this feeling of family would have even been possible,since most of them hated her. As she watched them work she felt the need to share with them all how much she appreciated them. She took a deep breath and walked in their direction, giving a last nod goodbye to Andrea who had turned to leave.

As Sharon approached the team, they all stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to her. She smiled at them before saying, "I just want to thank you all for being here. I know it's Thanksgiving and you all have plans with your families, so I really appreciate the fact that you all stopped by to stay with Andy. It didn't quite go as we expected, but I'm sure Andy appreciates what you've done as much as I appreciate it. Thank you. I'm thankful for all of you…" she finished, obviously moved, looking at each one of them.

"Oh Captain, don't mention it. That's what families do." Julio added with a light smile.

The others nodded in agreement and Sharon smiled back.

"I will of course keep you all informed about Andy's condition," she continued. "Oh and Buzz?" she asked turning around to face the younger man. "Would you mind taking Rusty home?"

Buzz didn't get the chance to reply before Rusty jumped out of his chair, "No, mom, no way!" Then lowering his voice, "I'm staying here with you."

"Don't worry, Rusty. Lieutenant Provenza will stay with me. There's not much we can do, only waiting. And it makes no sense for you to stay here, falling asleep on those awfully uncomfortable chairs. You need to rest." Sharon's voice was firm and she was glad she was able to speak without her voice breaking; she would have sounded less convincing. The last thing she wanted was Rusty not believing that she could make it on her own.

"It's no trouble at all for me, Captain." Buzz finally answered.

Sharon thanked the man and Rusty then came closer to his mother before whispering, "I want to stay here with you. I'm more useful here than at home."

"Useful? Rusty, you already did a lot today. You provided first aid to Andy, you've done everything right." Sharon cupped Rusty's cheek with her hand to bring his eyes back to hers, "You called an ambulance, you stopped the bleeding, and you informed us." She added. This time her voice was weaker as she recalled Andy's incident and she felt sick again at the thought. "I couldn't ask for more and I'm glad you were there when it happened, honey, because you helped him a lot. Now you go home and get some rest. It has been a long day for you."

"You sure, mom?" he asked skeptically. Sharon could see in her son's eyes that he didn't fully believe her and that he still wanted to stay.

"Of course." She answered, hugging him. When she let go of him, she offered him her best smile to convince him.

In order to appease her need to see that he got some rest Rusty sighed before reluctantly stating, "You call me if you need me, okay?"

Sharon nodded and Provenza joined her, standing by her side, "Don't worry, Rusty. I'll keep an eye on her."

Rusty finally gave in. He sighed and gave his mother one last hug before leaving with Buzz. The rest of the team left shortly after, but not before asking her once again to keep them updated. She reassured them all as she once again thanked them and said goodbye. The now almost empty corridor was eerily silent, and she finally sank into the closest plastic chair. Unable to sit at the moment, Provenza paced the corridor and she watched him absent-mindedly. Less than an hour had gone by since Andy was taken to surgery but it felt like an eternity to Sharon. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, unable to fully control her growing anxiety.

After a few minutes, Provenza stopped pacing and he sank into the chair next to Sharon. As he was sitting, his jacket fell on the floor and something dropped from one of the pockets. Initially he hadn't noticed the object fall from the pocket, but when he lifted the jacket he saw the paper sitting on the floor. Provenza quickly moved to cover the envelope, hiding it from Sharon. He hoped she had not noticed the slip up, but then he heard the soft question, "What is it, Lieutenant?" Provenza froze in his actions, he instantly knowing he had screwed up

"Oh nothing, absolutely nothing." He answered a bit too quickly. He knew he had to come up with some excuse and he had to do it quickly. "It's just…"

"If it's nothing, then why does it have my name on it?" she whispered, interrupting his attempt to come up with a cover story.

Provenza didn't answer right away and instead sat with his mouth wide open trying to think of the best excuse he could come up with in less than a second, but she was quicker as she added, "Lieutenant, it's Andy's handwriting. I've recognized it." Sharon closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing and calm down her emotions. "Please, tell me what's going on…"

She didn't mean it to sound like a plea, but that was all she could manage without breaking down. There was too much going on right now and this mysterious letter was the last thing she needed. Provenza bit his upper lip and sighed as he let his shoulders fall in defeat before saying, "Fine, fine. You weren't supposed to see this." Then shaking his head and sighing to himself, "Flynn is going to kill me." He wasn't sure he should continue, as he didn't know what effect his next line could have on her. He took a deep breath and added, "He wrote this in case he…"

Sharon's blood froze in her veins. She immediately understood what the older man meant. She felt a lump rise in her throat as it began to tighten. She opened her mouth to take in more air as she felt that she couldn't breathe properly. She needed to stay calm and keep at bay all the negative thoughts. Andy was going to be just fine. She shook her head and covered her mouth with her right hand as she was only able to whisper, "Oh God…"

"Come on, Captain. Let's not lose it over this. Flynn's going to be just fine." He tried to reassure her. "You know the man, he's a stubborn pain in the ass. There's no way he's going anywhere if he doesn't want to."

Provenza's attempts to lighten the mood didn't work as he had expected. Sharon simply nodded unable to speak as she felt the tears stinging her eyes. She couldn't lose it, not now, not in front of Provenza. The Lieutenant furtively looked at the woman sitting next to him. The tears were glistening in her eyes and he could tell she was trying not to break.

Provenza couldn't remember ever seeing her this way. Yes, he had seen her emotional a few years ago when she was having some difficulties in dealing with Rusty, but it never came close to today. He smirked to himself at the thought that Andy Flynn was responsible for all this. It still amazed him that his irritable and grumpy partner won the Captain's heart, especially when he thought back on how much they hated each other a few years ago. Provenza cleared his throat before saying, "Well anyway, now you know about it." He held the envelope out to her, "Here."

He handed the letter to her. Sharon looked at it hesitantly and then back to the man sitting next to her before cautiously taking the letter. She didn't say a word, she just held the letter in her hands, staring at it. Then, she slowly let her finger trace over Andy's handwriting, lost in her thoughts. Sharon was brought back to reality when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It startled her and when she looked up, she saw that Provenza was now standing in front of her.

"Sorry, Captain, I didn't mean to startle you." He removed his hand from her shoulder before adding, "I'm going to take a walk. I already feel my legs getting numb from sitting too long." He paused and furrowed his brow before adding with a smile, "It's not that I'm getting old, I'm just not used to sitting still for too long. You, know I'm a very active person."

"Of course, Lieutenant." She replied with a light smile.

Provenza nodded and slowly walked away. Sharon smirked. She was aware the Lieutenant left her alone on purpose, so she could quietly read Andy's letter. She didn't know if she was ready for it though. She was scared. She knew that the letter would force her to face her unexpressed feelings and that she would be more exposed than ever. She was vulnerable and her heart was breaking at the thought he wrote this letter in case he didn't make it. They had just started exploring their relationship and she wasn't ready to say goodbye to him. Not now, not ever .

They had agreed to take things slowly and he had been a perfect gentleman to her. Sure, his health issues changed a few things, speeding up some steps of their relationship, possibly slowing down other steps. They had been kind of living together since Andy's incident, even if it was only because he needed supervision and he couldn't stay alone at home. Sharon had immediately offered her help, lovingly taking care of him. She knew that sometimes he felt like a burden and that he was tired and frustrated of being the patient, but she had reassured him several times about the fact that in her eyes, he was anything but a burden and that she was glad she could take care of him. Truth to be told, she had grown accustomed to having him around at her condo and she couldn't imagine him going back to his house anytime soon.

Sharon took a deep breath and slowly opened the envelope. Her hands were shaking lightly as she took the piece of paper inside and started to read,

 _Dear Sharon,_

 _If you're reading this letter, then the unthinkable happened… or Provenza just screwed up everything and he gave the letter to you. I'm more thinking of the second option and I can't wait to get cleared by my doctor, so I can kick my idiot partner's ass._

Sharon suppressed a laugh. That line was so Andy Flynn it made her smile, although her smile quickly disappeared as she kept reading,

 _Okay, enough with the jokes… I'm not really good at all this, but if it did happen, then I'm so sorry, Sharon. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you, I feel sick just at the thought that I hurt you this way. I want you to know that I wanted nothing more than to stay with you, and I have fought with all the strength I had… I'm so sorry it wasn't enough._

 _It was all pretty new to us. We've just started exploring our relationship, even though our kids and coworkers seemed to know we were a thing long before we were even aware of it. Funny, isn't it? I've just asked you officially out a few months ago, but we were actually going out for a long time… we're a pair of idiots, aren't we? I had to endure over a year of Provenza rolling his eyes at me every time I got near you or called you, "Sharon." I can't believe this old grumpy man realized it before we did._

 _Anyway, I think it's legitimate to assume we've been together for more than the official few months. Still, it's not enough time to me. I definitely thought there would be a tomorrow, and I was ready for it. I was ready to take you out to that fancy Italian restaurant you like and see your eyes light up while reading the name of all those Italian dishes you've learned by heart. I was ready to spend my whole day-off sitting with you on your couch, holding you close while I was watching some game and you were reading one of your favorite books. I was ready to hold your hand and be by your side every time you felt like your strength wasn't enough to face the day. I was ready to wake up by your side, to see you first thing in the morning your beautiful green eyes and to kiss you good morning. I was ready to take our relationship to the next level. I was ready to love you._

 _I'm sorry I didn't have the courage to say those words to you before it was too late. Apparently, it seems easier to write them down. I love you. Funny how my brain stopped me from saying such simple words to you out loud. Subject. Verb. Complement. In theory, the easiest sentence ever, but in practice, the feelings and implications that come with those three words scared the ever-so brave Andy Flynn._

 _I wish I could turn back time to make everything right._

 _I will always love you, Sharon._

 _Andy._

Sharon folded the letter back into the envelope. She noticed she was crying only when one of her tears fell to leave a watermark on the envelope. She raised her hand to touch her face, now feeling the stream of tears that were falling. She rolled her eyes at herself for not being able to control herself as a sob escaped her lips. Sharon closed her eyes in an attempt to calm down her breathing as she leaned her head back against the wall. She took deep breaths, her chest slowly rising as her tears progressively decreased. After a few minutes, she had regained her composure. She opened her eyes again and wiped away the remaining trails of tears.

She then looked at the letter on her knees. She brushed her fingers over the now tear stained paper before taking it and putting it in her purse. She would keep it as a reminder of all the things they still had to do together, because Andy was going to be just fine. She believed this firmly. There was no other way. Everything would turn out great. She would be happy. They would be happy and everything would restart from there. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice, "Captain, look who I have found!"

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 **Who is it? Any guesses?**

 **I'd love to hear from you what you thought about this first chapter. I'd appreciate it very much. Thank you for reading!**

 **Chapter 2 will be coming soon! :)**


	2. Nicole

**First of all, I'd like to thank all of you who read, reviewed, favorited or followed this story. It really means a lot to me and it makes me very happy that you're enjoying this piece. I did enjoy writing it.**

 **Here's the second chapter, some of you guessed who the mysterious person is...for the rest of you who didn't, you'll find out very very soon.**

 **Again, special thanks to my super Beta, eelise187!**

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 **Previously,**

 _Sharon then looked at the letter on her knees. She brushed her fingers over the now tear stained paper before taking it and putting it in her purse. She would keep it as a reminder of all the things they still had to do together, because Andy was going to be just fine. She believed this firmly. There was no other way. Everything would turn out great. She would be happy. They would be happy and everything would restart from there. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice, "Captain, look who I have found!"_

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Sharon looked up and saw Nicole standing next to Provenza. She shook her head in relieved surprise as she stood up from her chair and approached the younger woman, quickly wiping away any lingering tears. "Nicole, I thought you were out of the country!" Sharon exclaimed, hugging Andy's daughter tightly. "Weren't you supposed to come back tomorrow?"

Nicole hugged Sharon back just as firmly and when she let Sharon go, she took the other woman's hands in hers before answering, "Oh, I think Dad got a little confused. I told him I was travelling on Thanksgiving, I think he just assumed I would be back home the following day, but London is eight hours ahead of Los Angeles, so yeah it's already tomorrow in London but still Thanksgiving here."

"That's totally Andy. Time zones confuse him all the time." Sharon smiled. She experienced it every time she wanted to call Emily and Andy kept getting confused about the time difference between Los Angeles and New York. She then added more seriously, "I'm glad you're here, Nicole."

"I'm glad I'm here too. Once I landed, I got those texts from Mom and Matthew and I totally freaked out. I came here as soon as I could," her voice beginning to quiver. The brave face she put on when she had arrived was slowly disappearing. "How's - how's Dad?"

"He's still in surgery." Sharon replied before gesturing to the waiting area, "Nicole, why don't we sit so we can talk better?"

The younger woman nodded and Sharon gently led her to the chair next to hers. The Captain caught Provenza's eyes, and she could see he was silently asking her if she was alright. She smiled at him and then sat down next to Andy's daughter, still holding the young woman's hand. Provenza stood at a distance and started pacing again, giving the two women some privacy.

"I don't get it, Sharon." Nicole began looking down at their joined hands, "Dad was doing fine, the blood clot was under control. What - what happened?" Nicole asked, lifting her eyes to meet Sharon's, concern clearly showing on her face.

Sharon could see the younger woman was trying her best to maintain her composure, but Sharon knew better. She could read the pain and worry on Nicole's face; she could feel how much her hands were shaking in her own. It was only a matter of time before Andy's daughter broke down.

"The blood thinners he was taking to get rid of the blood clot made him dizzy. He didn't say anything about it as he thought that it would go away by itself and it wasn't a major issue," Sharon explained, sighing. Andy's stubbornness sometimes drove her crazy. "He was in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. His toothbrush fell on the floor and he went to pick it up when he got dizzy, lost consciousness, and hit his head as a consequence of the fall." Sharon paused; using it to regain her composure as she felt her voice was starting to crack. "Rusty - Rusty found him, he called an ambulance, and they brought him to the hospital." Nicole nodded silently listening to Sharon run through everything that had transpired while she was traveling. "We were actually about to share Thanksgiving meal with the whole team when his doctor showed up and announced that Andy was going to have the surgery right now. They need to remove the blood clot, because due to the fall it moved to a more dangerous position," Sharon paused and pointed to the spot on her own neck, "closer to the brain…"

"Oh God," Nicole whispered, covering her mouth with her right hand. "How dangerous is the whole procedure?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

Sharon swallowed and took a deep breath. _How could she answer the question that had been haunting her since he was taken to surgery? How could she answer that question, leaving aside the fear she was feeling inside of her?_ She could see Nicole looking at her, waiting for an answer and she knew she had to put on a brave face to reassure Andy's daughter.

"Doctor Liu is used to this kind of procedure. She reassured us that she performs it on a daily basis and that it is a simple procedure." Sharon calmly patted Nicole's hand before continuing, "But you know as well as I do, Nicole, that every surgery has its risks. But still, I have faith in God, in the doctors, and in your father. He's strong and he will fight this. Everything will turn out great."

Nicole nodded, slowly processing the information she had just received. The two women sat in silence for a few minutes. Sharon took the pause to briefly close her eyes, allowing herself to focus on her breathing and to manage her own anxiety over the procedure and its risks.

"Sharon?" Nicole asked hesitantly, drawing Sharon out of her thoughts. "You would tell me if things were really bad, wouldn't you?"

Sharon opened her eyes again and turned to face Nicole. The young woman suddenly looked so small and fragile. Sharon could see tears beginning to pool in Nicole's eyes and she could tell that Andy's daughter wouldn't be able to hold it together for much longer. Sharon's maternal side kicked in. She could see her own children, she could see Emily, Ricky, and Rusty when she looked at Nicole and she couldn't imagine how worried and upset they would be if something were to happen to her. Right now, she was the only friendly face and support for Nicole and she wasn't going to let her down.

Sharon lifted her hand to cup Nicole's cheek, using her thumb to brush away a stray tear that had fallen, "Of course I would. It is serious, but it is not that bad." Sharon tried to reassure the young woman, in a soft soothing voice.

Nicole nodded, unable to speak. She kept nodding frantically as more tears began to stream down her face. Before she could control her actions, a sob escaped her lips and she dropped her head into her hands, shaking with each attempt to breathe through her sobs.

Sharon took her in her arms, soothing her, "Oh honey. It's okay. I'm here. Let it out, let it all out…" Sharon whispered, slowly stroking Nicole's hair. "It's going to be alright…"

They stayed like this for a while; Nicole quietly weeping on Sharon's shoulder while the older woman rubbed her back comfortingly. Provenza watched them from afar, exchanging looks with his Captain. He could see that she was having a hard time herself in keeping her composure, as her eyes were once again shining with unshed tears, but she was staying strong for the younger woman. Nicole progressively calmed down and Sharon slowly released her.

"I'm sorry, Sharon." Nicole mumbled, uncomfortably. "It must be the tiredness, the lack of sleep, and now this. I'm - I'm a mess."

"Don't worry about it, Nicole. It's okay," Sharon reassured her with a caring smile.

Provenza chose that moment to stand up from his plastic chair, his legs feeling initially numb from sitting too long, and approach the two women. He cleared his throat, "Ladies, excuse me," he paused briefly before continuing, "I'm about to go to the cafeteria. Can I bring you something? Coffee maybe?"

"Coffee sounds great, Lieutenant. Thank you." Sharon answered with a light smile. She then turned to Andy's daughter and asked, "What do you think, Nicole?"

"Definitely sounds good to me. Thank you Lieutenant." She answered politely.

"Coffees coming then, but don't get used to it, Captain. Me being so accommodating is only for today. Flynn definitely owes me one for being so good to his ladies." He added with a smirk.

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that, Lieutenant, as I feel that you will be in big trouble very soon." As she patted her purse, the letter tucked safely inside.

They exchanged knowing looks and Provenza immediately understood what she was alluding to. He rolled his eyes and snorted before adding, "He will thank me for that. And so will you."

It was then Sharon's turn to roll her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. Provenza left grinning and Nicole looked at Sharon questioningly. The older woman smiled at Andy's daughter before shaking her head, "Long story. But, let's just say Lieutenant Provenza may owe your father one."

Nicole smiled lightly before running a hand through her hair. Noticing Sharon looking down at her watch, Andy's daughter asked, "How long has he been in surgery?"

"It's been two hours." Sharon stated before softening her tone and adding with a gentle smile, "It should be soon over." Doctor Liu had told her that the surgery could last between two and three hours, depending on how serious the blood clot situation was.

Nicole nodded and they waited in silence for Provenza to come back with the coffees. When the Lieutenant returned, they took their coffees with a smile and thanked him. Provenza then excused himself to call Patrice and update her on the situation. Sharon sipped her coffee in silence, enjoying the feeling of the hot beverage going down her throat. She closed her eyes and breathed heavily before taking another sip of her coffee.

"You know, Sharon," Nicole began pulling Sharon's attention back to the young woman. "From the first time I saw you I knew that you were the one for Dad," Nicole whispered with a soft smile.

Sharon opened her eyes and turned to face the younger woman, astonished and moved by Nicole's words. She didn't expect Andy's daughter to confess something like that. She was a little taken aback, unsure of how to respond.

She smiled at her sincerely as Nicole added, "Dad has changed a lot thanks to you. You made him a better person."

"Oh no, Nicole. Andy was already a good person, he just needed someone who believed in him and someone to give him some confidence." Shaking her head as she smiled back at Nicole, "We both know that he has made mistakes and that he may sometimes seem a bit grouchy, but deep down he's a caring and loving man."

Nicole nodded and she seemed to consider her next words. She then whispered, clearly moved with a soft smile, "Well, I'm so glad he has you as that someone, Sharon."

Sharon looked at Nicole, touched as she put a hand over her heart. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she kept repeating to herself that she wouldn't allow them to stream down her face. She tried to speak but no sound came out of her mouth. She wanted Nicole to know that she was the lucky one to have met a man who cared about her so deeply. Sharon took a deep breath before answering, "I'm glad I have him too. I'm the lucky one."

Sharon's voice was weak, threatening to break at any minute. A single tear escaped from her right eye and quickly went down her cheek before she wiped it away. Nicole noticed it and she took Sharon's hand, squeezing it. They exchanged looks and Sharon offered her a light smile before adding, "I didn't think this would happen to me again, especially at my age. I thought my chance at finding someone like your father had passed."

Nicole frowned at the other woman's confession and shook her head. She was ready to object when Sharon continued, "And I had accepted it, just like I had accepted the fact that my kids were grown-ups and gone, and it was just me and my empty nest." She shook her head in disbelief at the turns her simple life had taken, "And suddenly, Rusty came into my life, and then my relationship with your father took a different turn," Sharon smiled wistfully, "it's like, it's like life is giving me a second chance."

Sharon paused and looked down at her hands as she fidgeted with her blouse. She was being given a second chance to make things right this time. She already had had a devastating marriage with Jack; this time, with Andy, she wanted her relationship to work. For this, she needed Andy to be okay and she was confident that he would be. God made her cross Andy's path, she couldn't think that He would take her favorite Lieutenant away so soon.

Sharon sighed and wanted nothing more than to change the topic, so she said with a smile, "Did you know that Andy and I couldn't stand each other at first?"

"Well I may have heard some stories about it." Nicole answered, holding back a laugh. "Dad told me about that horrible drawing he did of you…"

"Oh the wicked witch." Sharon confirmed, rolling her eyes. "Can't say he is particularly skilled in the drawing department. A five year-old would have drawn it better."

Nicole covered her mouth with her right hand as she started to laugh. She could imagine how her father would have reacted to Sharon's critique. She could picture him pretending to be offended with one of his well-known puppy dog faces. She then stopped laughing and with a more serious tone, she added, "I'm sorry he was a jerk to you."

Sharon shook negatively her head before answering, "Back then I was the enemy, and I wasn't the most likable person on earth either."

"When I see how he looks at you now, it is hard for me to believe you two ever hated each other," Nicole stated with a soft smile.

"I suppose that was part of the process. Maybe we wouldn't have become the Sharon and Andy we are now if we didn't drive each other crazy back then." Sharon smiled remembering all of the times they had butted heads in the past.

Nicole returned the smile before looking pensively at the other woman sitting next to her. She felt close to Sharon and it all happened very fast. She remembered the first time she met Sharon: it was she and Dean's wedding, and her father had come along with his Captain who he had simply introduced with a "this is my friend, Sharon." Sharon had immediately impressed Nicole that day. The young woman could tell by her polite manners and classy attitude that Sharon was very different from the kinds of women her father used to date. From then, Nicole slowly started to believe that her father was in fact changing. The first sign being that he had shown up at the wedding, even though she was aware it could have been an unpleasant situation for him. Her father seemed more reliable and the fact that a woman like Sharon was by his side showed how much he had changed.

From that day on, Nicole felt connected to Sharon and even now she couldn't quite explain how it had happened. She didn't know if it was the woman's reassuring smile, her motherly ways, or her compassionate soul; but something inevitably drew her close to her father's partner. Today was no exception and she was glad Sharon was by her side during such a difficult time.

Nicole didn't know if she would have made it on her own. When she first heard the news, she stood in shock and her only thought was that she had to rush to the hospital. She knew she would have been the only one of the family to do so, as her mother simply asked her to keep her updated before hanging up and her brother had come up with some lame excuse of him being out of the state for the holidays.

Honestly though, she couldn't fully fault Matthew's reticent attitude toward their father. She was aware that he had suffered from their father's absence as much as she had and that Matthew was still too angry at their father to fully forgive him for the past. Nicole had tried to convince her brother to give their father a chance, but he wasn't ready and she couldn't force him. She just hoped that he would still have time to change his mind.

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought that she could lose her father. She closed her eyes and sighed as she felt Sharon take her hand and squeeze it gently. Nicole opened her eyes to meet Sharon's concerned look. She squeezed the other woman's hand in return before whispering, "I'm so glad you're here with me, Sharon." Nicole paused and took a deep breath. Her voice was shaking and her eyes were welling up with tears again. "I-I don't think… I would make it… without you."

"Oh honey," Sharon whispered, stroking the younger woman's hair. "I'm relieved I'm not alone in this too. Don't think I'm that strong, I'm afraid too." Sharon gently smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind Nicole's ear, "But we have each other, we can rely on each other and everything is going to be okay."

Nicole nodded as tears ran down her cheeks. Sharon's eyes were glistening too as she drew the young woman closer and hugged her once again. Nicole rested her head on the other woman's shoulder as she closed her eyes in an attempt to control her breathing. Sharon simply held her, soothing her as she used to do with her children, as she was silently hoping for some news about Andy.

It had been nearly three hours since he had left for surgery and Sharon couldn't help but feel more and more anxious with each passing minute. She looked up and met Provenza's eyes. He was standing in the distance and Sharon wondered how long he had been there. She didn't even notice he had come back. They exchanged looks and Provenza offered her a sad smile, shrugging before returning to the plastic chair across from Sharon and Nicole.

The Lieutenant studied the two women from his seat. He was amazed by how well they got along together. He couldn't help but grin thinking about how Sharon Raydor seemed anything but likable and sensitive back in her FID years. He remembered the time she had sent him and his partner to sensitivity training for four months because of their inappropriate behavior. Now he was slowly getting used to the emotional and affectionate Sharon, even if he was still feeling uncomfortable when he had to witness to one of those moments.

Nicole progressively calmed down, but Sharon didn't let her go until she was sure the young woman was feeling better. She could feel Nicole's breathing slowing down and after a few minutes, Andy's daughter slowly moved and Sharon released her. Nicole smiled, a little uncomfortable as she wiped away the remaining tears from her cheeks.

She ran a hand through her hair before looking at Sharon and whispering, "Gosh, it's already the second time this has happened." Nicole paused before adding, "I owe you a new blouse, I'm so sorry."

Sharon looked at the wet stain on her shoulder and she simply brushed her blouse with her hand before answering with a soft smile, "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's just water, it will dry off and disappear by itself." Nicole nodded in response before Sharon continued, "You're okay?" she asked with a more serious tone.

"I am, thank you. What about you?" Nicole asked, looking Sharon in the eyes as if she could read them to figure out if the other woman was telling her the truth.

Sharon hesitantly looked at Andy's daughter. She wasn't sure how to answer. It was obvious that if she had said that she was fine, Nicole would have known that she was lying.

Sharon sighed and looked at Nicole, but didn't say a word. It was then that she suddenly noticed how much Nicole looked like her father. The eyes that were looking expectantly at her were identical to Andy's. Nicole's smile was like Andy's and this constant reminding of him didn't help her in keeping control of her emotions. Sharon took a deep breath before answering with a calm tone, "I'm hanging in there…"

There were no coincidences in her choice of words as they echoed back to when Andy had said them to her in an attempt to comfort her after Stroh escaped. Nicole took Sharon's hand and squeezed it. She was about to say something when they both saw a doctor walking down the hall. Sharon immediately recognized Doctor Liu and she could tell that Provenza did it too because he had stood up from his chair and began his way across the room.

The Captain stood, quickly followed by Nicole, as Doctor Liu approached them and Provenza came near, "Captain Raydor?" the doctor called to her.

"Yes?" she asked before adding, "Oh this is Andy Flynn's daughter, Nicole."

"Doctor, how's my father?" Nicole asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

Doctor Liu looked at the three people waiting anxiously in front of her, she didn't want to keep them waiting any longer so she got straight to the point, "He's fine. The blood clot has been removed and the surgery was a success." The trio let out their collectively held breaths as she continued, "It was a bit longer than we expected because the blood clot was in a delicate position, and Mister Flynn's heart has been a little, let's say, unsteady, so we had to be very careful during the whole procedure."

The relieved smile quickly returning to worry, "Unsteady?" Sharon painfully repeated through the lump in her throat.

She felt Nicole take her hand when Doctor Liu answered, "Oh, nothing to worry about. Mister Flynn had some tachycardia peaks, which is a normal situation in a patient suffering from high blood pressure." Sharon and Nicole both nodded taking in all of the new information, "We'll monitor him over the following days to exclude any kind of complication, but I'm optimistic Mister Flynn will be all right and back home under your supervision" the doctor added looking at Sharon, "in a few days."

"Can we see him?" Nicole asked.

"Right now he's in recovery. Visiting hours are long over." Doctor Liu paused, but after seeing Sharon's serious look, she added, "but I may be able to make an exception for you since you're family." She indicated Nicole and then pointing at Sharon she added, "and you're his wife, or partner, or whatever…"

Sharon blushed and looked down, not bothering herself to correct the doctor this time. Provenza rolled his eyes and smirked before stepping in to say, "And before you say that I'm nothing to Mister Flynn, I just want to reassure you that I have no particular needs of seeing that pain in the ass of a work partner I have."

"Good. Guess I'll be able to sleep then without feeling bad for excluding you." The doctor answered ironically. Then turning back to Sharon and Nicole, "As soon as he is taken to his room you'll be able to see him. It should only be a matter of minutes," the doctor reassured as she nodded to the group. Taking a pause before leaving she reminded them, "But please, Mister Flynn needs to rest. So no overjoyed reaction, not too much talking, no hugs, no sitting on Mister Flynn's bed… if you really want to do something, just hold hands. That's all."

"Okay, thank you Doctor." Sharon answered, feeling relieved.

Doctor Liu nodded and excused herself before walking quickly away. Sharon let out another relieved breath and smiled to herself. Andy was fine. Now she just wanted to see him to check for herself that he was indeed fine. They all sat down and Sharon found herself nervous and impatient. She had waited three hours, but now waiting a few minutes before finally seeing him was unbearable. It seemed to her that suddenly time passed in an agonizing slowness and once again her hands started fidgeting nervously with her blouse.

A few more minutes passed before Sharon heard the sound of wheels coming down the hallway. She turned right and her heart started beating faster when she saw two nurses wheeling a patient on a bed. She didn't need to see him to know it was Andy. As they slowly approached, Sharon was finally able to see for herself that he was alright, even though he was still unconscious. As the bed passed by she wanted desperately to reach out for his hand, but she obviously didn't since she was trying her best to maintain her composure, follow the doctor's rules, and to not worry Nicole.

The door to the room closed behind the nurses. Provenza stood up and ran a hand through his hair before saying, "Now that I've seen the grumpy idiot - who ruined everyone's Thanksgiving, I'm going home. Tell him I say hi and, well," Provenza waved his hand in the air, "well, don't worry, the rest I'll tell him myself." he added with a smirk. "Keep me updated, and if you need anything…"

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Sharon cut him short with a smile, "We will let you know of any updates."

Provenza waved goodbye to the two women before heading out. Sharon and Nicole looked at each other and smiled. They were slowly letting go of all the anxiety and stress they had experienced and Sharon suddenly felt exhausted. The adrenaline rush and all her worries prevented her from feeling how tired she was, and now that this hectic day was coming to an end, she felt devoid of strength and her legs heavy.

She took out her phone and sent a quick text to Rusty to inform him that the surgery was over and that Andy was fine. When the two nurses left the room, one of them left the door slightly open and motioned for the two women to go in. Sharon and Nicole walked to the door when suddenly the younger woman stopped. Sharon looked at her, frowning when Nicole asked her, "Do you want to go first?"

"Oh no, no," Sharon immediately answered, shaking her head. "We're going together, come on," she added, extending her hand.

Nicole looked uncertainly at the other woman before finally taking Sharon's hand. Sharon whispered to her a soothing, "It's going to be okay," and they went into the room together.

Nicole closed the door and froze, unable to move further into the room. Sharon's breath caught in her throat as she saw Andy, lying unconscious and hooked up to machines. She wasn't used to seeing him so vulnerable and the sight of him hurt broke her heart. She slowly moved closer to the bed and studied him. Despite everything, he looked peaceful. Sharon could see the bandage on his neck and the catheter in his right hand. She gently stroked his left hand while looking at him lovingly. She noticed Nicole wasn't by her side and she turned around. She found her still next to the door and with a hand gesture and an encouraging smile, she whispered, "Come here, honey. It's okay…"

Nicole hesitantly joined Sharon who put a hand on the younger woman's shoulder before smiling softly at her and adding, "I know it looks scary seeing him like this, but your dad is fine. It looks worse than it actually is, okay?"

Nicole nodded and smiled lightly taking her father's hand in hers. Sharon motioned for her to sit down in the chair next to the bed and Nicole followed her advice. Sharon walked to the other side of the bed and sunk into an easy chair. She sighed, closing her eyes. She was starting to feel the exhaustion she had been fighting during the day slowly creep into her body. She snuggled up in the chair, bringing her legs to her chest as she watched Andy closely.

Sharon wanted to stroke his cheek and let him know that she was there by his side, but she knew how important it was for him to rest and she wanted to respect the rules set by Doctor Liu. She was aware that she and Nicole shouldn't be in his hospital room outside of visiting hours, so she was grateful Doctor Liu made this exception. She brushed her hand over his arm before looking up and meeting Nicole's eyes with another reassuring smile. The younger woman smiled back at Sharon before returning her concerned, yet caring gaze, to her father.

Nicole let her mind drift to the memories she had of the time she spent with her father. Since her wedding their relationship had improved a lot and they were getting very close. She didn't remember them being incredibly close before, but she was glad they had now succeeded in establishing a healthy relationship.

As a child her mother had been everything to her, essential in her childhood, as her father had been virtually absent. Nicole didn't remember much of him back then except for the fights he and her mother had. She could recall those moments much more clearly than any others; she could feel her heart twitch as the yelling began down the hall, she could see herself as a little girl sitting down in a corner of her bedroom, legs to her chest, covering her ears with her hands, hoping for the argument to end soon. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought and she brushed off those memories.

Back then she was kind of afraid of her father, but growing up, she slowly understood he was having a hard time and that he wasn't the only one to blame. When a marriage failed, both the husband and wife were to blame in their own ways. Nicole was aware of the fact that her father made a lot of mistakes, she could deny it, but she recognized that he had changed a lot in the last few years. Her mother and brother weren't willing to acknowledge it yet, they were still hurting and she couldn't blame them. Nicole just hoped her brother would soon realize how different a man his father had become, because he needed a father as much as she needed one and she didn't want him to lose more precious time.

Nicole sighed and looked softly at her unconscious father. She wanted to hug him so badly after the scary day she had just experienced, but she knew she wasn't allowed. Instead she settled on simply holding his hand. She was glad she didn't have to face it all by herself. She turned right to find that Sharon had dozed off in her chair, her hand resting on Andy's arm.

Nicole smiled, moved at the sight and her heart suddenly filled up with joy, knowing that her father had someone like Sharon by his side. Nicole could feel how important her father was to Sharon and she was happy that someone cared and loved him that much. She wanted nothing more than her father to be happy and Sharon was simply the perfect match for him. She was sure the other woman was one of the main reasons why her father changed so much and deep down, she was thankful for Sharon.

Nicole knew that if Sharon hadn't come along with Andy to her wedding, things could have gone differently and she probably would never have gotten a chance to become so close to her father again. She would have missed all those wonderful moments they shared together: the many meals they had, in restaurants and at home with her family, the picnics in the park, the games they've attended and the Nutcracker they have seen twice, along with Sharon. She smiled at the memories and was suddenly brought back to the present when she felt her hand being squeezed. She jumped and turned to look at her father. She gasped when she realized he was awake and smiling softly up at her. Nicole opened her mouth to say something but she was so taken aback that no sound came out.

* * *

 **Andy is finally awake!**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to let me know what you think about it! I'd appreciate it very much!**

 **Chapter 3, the final one, will be up very soon!**


	3. Andy

**Again, thank you to all of you who read, reviewed, favorite or followed this story. I deeply appreciate it as it encourages me to keep writing.**

 **Here's the third and last chapter of this piece. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Big shout-out to my Beta, eelise187! I wouldn't be posting my stories without her!**

* * *

 **Previously,**

 _Nicole knew that if Sharon hadn't come along with Andy to her wedding, things could have gone differently and she probably would never have gotten a chance to become so close to her father again. She would have missed all those wonderful moments they shared together: the many meals they had, in restaurants and at home with her family, the picnics in the park, the games they've attended and the Nutcracker they have seen twice, along with Sharon. She smiled at the memories and was suddenly brought back to the present when she felt her hand being squeezed. She jumped and turned to look at her father. She gasped when she realized he was awake and smiling softly up at her. Nicole opened her mouth to say something but she was so taken aback that no sound came out._

* * *

"Nic…" Andy whispered with a hoarse voice from the anesthesia and ET tube. "You? Here?"

"Oh Dad," she answered back with tears glistening in her eyes. "I - we were so worried about you…"

"Worried? … What?… I told… everyone… I-I was… going to be just fine…"

"Yeah, well we couldn't help but worry. You know how it is, women…" Nicole added, smiling widely at her father as she shrugged her shoulders.

Andy was about to laugh but he immediately stopped as a violent pain shot through his neck. He cringed as he closed his eyes and Nicole said, alarmed, "Oh no, no Dad. No laughing, just breathe slowly. Do you want to drink some water?"

Andy didn't immediately answer. He tried to calm the pain he was feeling and when he managed to do so, he opened his eyes and looked at his daughter with a slight smile, "Can… I drink? Not… sure Doctor… L-Lucifer would app-approve…"

"Oh come on, don't be silly, Dad." Nicole answered back laughing. It was so her father to give nicknames to the people surrounding him. She remembered the talk she had with Sharon previously about Andy calling her "the wicked witch" and she couldn't help but smile. She took a glass full of ice and carefully gave one of the ice cubes to her father. "Here, sip some ice. Slowly."

He took the ice in his mouth and slowly sipped it. The ice immediately made him feel better as his throat wasn't as dry anymore. Once he finished it, he smiled at his daughter and thanked her. Now that he was feeling a bit less drowsy, he realized there was someone else in the room, as he could feel a light touch on his other arm. He didn't need to turn his head to know who it was and it drew an instant smile to his face. He slowly and carefully turned his head, ignoring the slight pain in his neck, and he saw her. Sharon. Sitting in an easy chair, asleep, her legs against her chest, her hair slightly covering her face.

 _She was a beautiful sight to wake up to,_ he thought. _The woman looked beautiful in every kind of situation._

"She fell asleep a little while ago," Nicole whispered. "She was tired, it has been a long day."

"Helluva day," he answered back, then his features softened when he added, "she's beautiful."

"Yes, she is, Dad." Nicole smiled widely, moved by the sweetness of her father's words. "She really is."

"How is she?"

"She's okay. She was worried sick about you, but she has been strong the whole time. She's amazing, Dad, like really," Nicole took a moment to look between Sharon and her father, "I'm glad she was by my side, I don't know if I would have made it without her."

"I'm sorry, kid…"

"Hey Dad, there's nothing you have to be sorry for," Nicole interrupted him with a serious tone. "None of this is your fault. We're both glad you're okay and that it is over. I'm going to wake her up, I know she can't wait to see you…"

Nicole was about to stand up but a light tug on her hand stopped her. She looked at her father questioningly as he said with a smile, "Let me do it."

"Okay, but be careful. I don't want you to hurt yourself," she whispered to him before kissing his forehead.

Andy rolled his eyes and Nicole couldn't hold back a smile. Seeing her father so in love moved her, and at the same time, she found him utterly cute when he got romantic. She wasn't used to seeing that side of him.

Andy slowly moved his right arm, wincing in pain and breathing heavily. He couldn't believe that moving an arm would be so difficult and it frustrated him. He wasn't used to being so weak. He finally managed to reach his left arm and he let his right hand cover Sharon's hand that was resting on his arm. He delicately squeezed it once, then twice. He saw Sharon jump and felt her hand let go of his arm.

Sharon rubbed her eyes before looking up to meet first Nicole's gleeful eyes and then Andy's. _Andy_. She suddenly realized he was awake and her expression immediately changed from sleepy to joyful. She covered her mouth with her hands as her eyes started sparkling with tears and she whispered, "Andy."

"Hey beautiful," he murmured.

Sharon took his hand in hers and squeezed it, looking lovingly at him. She didn't say a word and he didn't either. They simply looked at each other, exchanging meaningful glances. Nicole felt she was in the way and decided to leave them alone. She stood up from her chair and said, "I've spotted a coffee vending machine down the hallway and I guess, I definitely need one. What about you, Sharon?"

"Coffee sounds great. Thank you, Nicole." She answered, smiling at the younger woman.

"Anytime, Sharon."

With one last smile, she left the room, leaving Sharon and Andy alone. Sharon watched as the door closed slowly behind Nicole before turning her attention to Andy again. She smiled softly at him, "She's such a remarkable young lady."

"Yes, she is, " Andy smiled as he looked across to where his daughter had just exited. "I-I'm so proud of her," he added sincerely.

Sharon smiled at him and they sat for a while in a comfortable silence, looking at each other before he squeezed her hand and asked concerned, "Hey babe, you're okay?"

"I should be the one asking you that." She answered smirking. "I'm okay now," she added truthfully. "What about you?"

"A bit dozy," he responded as his eyes began to droop, "And tired…"

"You should rest, Andy." She stated with a serious tone brushing her hand through his hair.

"Later. I want to spend… some time with you." He whispered with a soft smile.

"I'm being serious, Andy." She frowned. "We will have plenty of time to spend together later…"

"I'm serious too, Sharon." He cut her short before adding, "I don't want to wait anymore," opening his eyes wide to meet her gaze, "I don't want to lose any more time."

Sharon was taken aback by his answer and she sat in silence, contemplating his words. She felt her eyes filling up with tears again and a lump forming in her throat. She delicately stroked his hand before saying, "We won't, I promise."

Andy wanted nothing more than to hold her close. He could feel how hard this day had been on her and he just wanted to comfort her and to chase her worries away. He wanted to stroke her cheek and to tell her that everything was going to be all right, but he felt that he didn't have enough strength to lift his arm to reach her face. He was feeling more and more frustrated and he silently cursed the anesthesia for weakening him.

"Come closer," he whispered softly.

Sharon arched an eyebrow as she felt him delicately pulling her by the hand. She stood up and looked at him questioningly before pointing out, "Andy, there's no way I could come closer without sitting on your bed, but -"

"Then sit down." He simply answered, patting the side of his bed.

"Andy, Doctor Liu said among the list of all the prohibited things: 'no sitting on Mister Flynn's bed' if I do recall her exact words" Sharon smiled slyly as Andy let out a defeated sigh.

Andy rolled his eyes. _Sharon and her attachment to rules._ He wasn't surprised by the fact that she was actually considering following the doctor's stupid orders.

"Let's not talk about Doctor Lucifer, please."

"Doctor Liu" she corrected him. "- Saved your life, Andy," she added with a serious tone.

"Well, I guess I've made a pact with the devil then. Now will you please sit on my bed? It won't kill me you know."

He meant it as a joke but it didn't have the effect he would have expected. He saw Sharon grow tense and noticed the corners of her mouth turn down. Tears started gathering in Sharon's eyes and before she could do anything to stop them, a few escaped and began rolling silently down her cheeks. She nervously wiped them away as a few more streamed down her face. She turned around, hiding her face from him but he held her by the hand before saying firmly, "Don't."

Sharon stopped but didn't turn her head to face him. She was still trying to control her emotions, failing miserably, and she didn't want Andy to see her like that. She wanted to tell him that she was fine but the lump in her throat was preventing her from saying anything without her voice cracking.

"Sharon, come here." Andy whispered, in what sounded more like a plea than an order, as he delicately attempted to pull her back around. He hated the fact that he couldn't move, that he couldn't stand up and wrap his arms around her. He hated that he couldn't hold her close while she cried. It broke his heart seeing her hurting this way and not being able to comfort her. He hated even more that he was the reason behind her tears.

He slid slowly and carefully across his bed, wincing at every shot of pain, "Sharon, please, turn around. Don't force me to stand up, because I swear to God that I will if you don't come here."

She sighed and brushed away a few more tears before turning around. She then noticed that Andy had moved in his bed and that he had made room for her. He patted the free space next to him and she sighed at his stubbornness before carefully sitting down next to him. He put his left arm around her and slowly pulled her closer. She resisted at first, but finally gave in when she met his concerned eyes.

"I-I don't want - to hurt you -" she said through her tears.

"You won't, I promise…"

She put her head on his chest while the tears kept quietly falling. She didn't seem to be able to stop them and she knew she was releasing the tension of the day. She just hated the fact that she had broken down in front of him. The last thing he needed after his surgery was her stressing him out.

"Sorry, it was a bad joke," he admitted after a few minutes of silence.

"It's okay," she whispered into his chest.

Andy kissed the top of her head as he held her. Sharon looked up to meet his eyes and he slowly and not without effort lifted his right arm to reach her cheek. He gently brushed away the remaining tears before whispering, "I'm sorry for putting you through all this."

"There's nothing you have to be sorry for. It's not your fault, Andy, okay?" she answered with a firm tone. She then looked down before adding, "I'm sorry I broke down this way. I don't know what got into me. That's the last thing you need right now."

"Hey Sharon, look at me." He asked and when she didn't look up, he delicately lifted her chin. "Don't ever apologize for showing your emotions to me, okay? It's been a hard day and you've been bottling up your emotions for too long, it's pretty normal to break down and I'm glad I was here when you did."

She smiled at him; any trail of tears had now disappeared from her face. She caressed his cheek before leaning in to kiss him gently. She had wanted to kiss him since she had found out he was awake, but she held back, not wanting to do it in front of Nicole. Sharon then rested her head back on his chest as she whispered, concerned, "You sure it's okay if…"

"Yeah, more than okay." He interrupted her with a smile, holding her.

Sharon closed her eyes and focused on the sound of his heart. His strong beating heart, telling her that Andy was there with her and that everything went perfectly fine. She quietly enjoyed the moment, thanking God for the second chance He had given to both of them. The chance to spend more time together and the chance to love each other.

"Your doctor will be more than annoyed if she sees us like this," Sharon said after a while.

"No worries, I'll tell her you really wanted to follow the rules but it is my fault you didn't. I'm the bad guy, as always." He added with a smile. "I'd be more worried about Provenza showing up and finding us like this."

Sharon chuckled and covered her mouth with her right hand before saying in a more serious tone, "He went home after they brought you back to your room. He stayed with us the whole time." Then lifting her head to express the seriousness of her words, but smiling despite herself, "I'd even risk by saying he was worried about you."

"That old grumpy man is loyal like a dog." Andy stated smirking, but deep down, he was grateful to Provenza for caring about him, even if the man would rather die than admit it. "Although I think he was worried he'd have to work double in case I…"

Andy immediately stopped when he sensed Sharon stiffen in his arms. He silently cursed himself for being so insensitive and almost cracking another bad joke. He said nothing more, he just held her tighter, rubbing her back with his left hand.

"He says hi by the way and…" It was Sharon's turn to stop in the middle of a sentence. She considered her next words carefully. She knew that she couldn't keep this to herself and that she had to tell him before Provenza did, but she wasn't sure how he would react.

 _Would he take his words back? Would he freak out or get mad?_ She wondered.

"And…?" Andy asked, encouragingly. He looked down at her and he found her with her head still on his chest, staring into space. She seemed lost in her thoughts and Andy frowned. He had no idea what was bugging her so much and he hoped Provenza hadn't been an ass to her, or he would pay for it later. He softly stroked her hair before whispering jokingly, "What did the guy do? Do I have to drive him crazy as a punishment?"

Sharon didn't immediately answer. She bit her upper lip, feeling nervous. She didn't bother to look at him because she was afraid to see the reaction on his face as she finally said, "Andy, um, Provenza gave me the letter."

Sharon sensed him tense and she hesitantly looked up to meet his eyes. He seemed frozen in thought and Sharon was getting even more worried when she couldn't read any reaction on his face.

"Andy?" she called him, concerned.

"I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. He's a dead man," Andy said through gritted teeth.

She could tell Andy was angry. Her heart sank at the realization that maybe he regretted his words and wanted to take back everything he had written to her. Sharon felt her throat tighten before suddenly noticing Andy's features softening and a light flush appearing on his cheeks. He closed his eyes before looking down to meet her eyes.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to happen," he paused and brushed his hand once more through her hair, "It is not how I wanted you to find out. You shouldn't have had to read the letter if the surgery went well and I was okay…"

"It was an accident." She interrupted him. "The Lieutenant's jacket fell on the floor and the letter dropped out." Sharon shifted slightly to be able to look more directly into his eyes, "I noticed it and you know how I am, he pretty much had no choice but to give it to me," she added with a smile.

Sharon felt badly for Lieutenant Provenza as knowing Andy very well, he would be giving his partner a hard time now that he found out what happened. So, she wanted to be sure that Andy understood that it all happened accidentally and that Provenza didn't give her the letter on purpose.

"I'm sorry I've added more drama to an already hard day," he said softly.

He looked genuinely sorry and Sharon lifted her head from his chest and sat in a way she was able to face him. She shook her head before reaching for his face and stroking his cheek delicately.

"Never be sorry for expressing your feelings.," she told him, repeating the words he told her a few moments before. "No one has ever written me such a beautiful letter," she added, emotion clearly identifiable in her voice.

He smiled timidly at her as he blushed and Sharon wasn't sure she had ever seen Andy acting this shy. This side of him was new to Sharon and she couldn't help but find it cute that the blunt, bragging and confident Lieutenant Flynn was indeed shy when it came to love.

Andy swallowed before whispering truthfully, "I mean every word of it."

A smile crept across Sharon's face while her eyes shimmered yet again with tears, but this time tears of joy. She didn't say a word, she couldn't as she was way too moved by Andy's confession. She reached for his hands and took them in hers and they stayed like that for a while, neither of them speaking or moving. They simply looked at each other, exchanging intense and meaningful glances.

Sharon didn't expect anything more. She was aware of the fact that they were both struggling with expressing their feelings, so she didn't want him to feel pressured to say the words he had written to her in the letter. She knew how he felt and for now it was enough for her.

"I know," she answered sweetly.

They both looked down at their intertwined fingers and Andy rubbed her hand with his thumb. She relaxed under his touch and finally allowed herself to let go of all her worries and to enjoy the present moment. Andy was fine, they were together, and it could only get better for them. She was determined to not let anything get in the way. Andy cleared his throat and Sharon looked up to meet his eyes.

"Sharon, I…"

Before he could find the right words to say, the door swung open in a way that was totally not Nicole. To Andy's shock, Sharon jumped off the bed as if she had been stung by a bee and let herself fall noiselessly in the easy chair next to the bed, just as Doctor Liu appeared. Sharon silently thanked God for her ability to react so quickly and for sinking easily into the chair. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like if she had missed the chair and had ended up on the floor instead. She held back a laugh and put on her most innocent expression when Doctor Liu looked up from Andy's medical file.

The doctor looked suspiciously at the two of them before saying, "Well, Mister Flynn, I see you're wide awake. How are you feeling?"

"Good, I'm all good." He simply answered with a huge smile.

"I bet," the doctor stated, unimpressed as she checked his vitals. "Good as in _I'm dizzy, I lost my balance, hit my head and get a concussion_ or the common acceptance of the saying I'm good?"

Andy rolled his eyes and wondered if his doctor would ever stop teasing him about the incident that brought him to the ER.

"I'm good as in I'm not dizzy, I just have little pain in my neck, and I'm feeling a bit tired. Other than that, I'm perfectly normal."

"Good." She answered, writing down some annotations. "By the way, you should be resting Mister Flynn. Do you have any idea of what time it is?" she added, slightly annoyed. "If your visitors are a distraction from getting sleep, I'm afraid I will be forced to ask them to leave."

"Oh no, not at all! You have no idea how much Sharon here," he said pointing at her, "is committed to the rules. She'd rather tie me to the bed in order to make me sleep than disregard your orders. You're safe with her, she's totally no fun."

"If you say so," the doctor answered skeptically. "Now get some rest, I'm coming back in a couple of hours to check on you."

"Can't wait." Andy said sarcastically.

"Oh you have no idea how much I'm looking forward to it as well Mister Flynn." Doctor Liu replied, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at her patient's cheekiness.

Sharon couldn't help but smile as she held back a laugh. The doctor excused herself and left the room, closing the door behind her. Sharon then turned to Andy, arms crossed over her chest, faking offense as she asked, "So, I'm no fun?"

"Well," Andy quickly explained a little flustered, "Doctor Lucifer wanted to send you away, I had to convince her not to do so."

"Maybe that was what you deserved after all," she reasoned, arms crossed as she stood and neared Andy's bed.

"Oh come on, how can you not be fun? I had the hardest time not bursting out laughing when you jumped off the bed. Your reaction was priceless," he added with a huge smile gesturing her over to the open spot on the bed.

"Oh it was, was it?" she asked teasing him as she dropped her serious stance and sat back on his bed. "Imagine how priceless it would have been if I had missed the chair and ended up on the floor."

Andy couldn't hold back a laugh any longer and as soon as he started to laugh, he stopped almost instantaneously as a violent pain shot through his neck. He put a hand over his neck as he cringed. "Ow!"

"Hey easy, Andy. You know you can't laugh," Sharon warned him, with a concerned look as her hands delicately cupped his face helping him to focus and to breathe through the pain.

"You were the one making me laugh." He retorted, putting on his best puppy dog face.

"Oh that's my fault now?" she asked, unimpressed and arching an eyebrow. "I thought I wasn't any fun."

She loved it when they teased each other and as much as she was pretending to be offended, she was having a hard time in hiding a smile. Andy rolled his eyes and sighed, covering his face with his right hand, looking falsely desperate. Sharon finally burst out laughing, unable to contain it anymore, and Andy looked at her in awe. He watched her as her face lit up, her beautiful emerald eyes sparkling while she was covering her mouth with a hand. Her laughter was music to his ears and a wide smile crept across Andy's face as he admired the beautiful woman sitting in front of him.

"Oh, I missed your laugh," he paused. "God, Sharon, you have no idea how much I love you." He let it slip without thinking.

Sharon stopped laughing abruptly to look at him. Andy then realized what he had just said and he started feeling uncomfortable when he didn't read any clear reaction on Sharon's face. He looked down at his fidgeting hands, wondering if he had scared her with his sudden confession. With each passing second, he was getting more and more afraid he might have screwed up everything. Until…

"I love you too, Andy."

He wasn't sure if he really heard the words or if his mind made everything up, but when he looked up to meet her gaze, he saw her glistening eyes and her beautiful smile and he understood that it was all real.

He smiled back at her and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, so he tried to move closer when Sharon stopped him by raising her hand and saying firmly, "Andrew Flynn, don't you dare. You heard your doctor, you can't move and you need to rest."

Andy pouted and looked at her, challenging her with a look. He then smiled and said, "Come closer and I'll be still, I promise."

Sharon rolled her eyes and pretended to look annoyed as she complied. She moved to sit on the bed next to him and he wrapped his left arm around her before whispering in her ear, in a sudden serious tone, "I'm sorry it took me so long to say those words."

Sharon smiled. It took them a while before pronouncing their first I love you, but it was totally worth the wait, as this moving moment would stay with her forever. She squeezed his arm and replied, "Some things are better when you have to wait for them."

A smile appeared on Andy's face as he slowly and painfully moved his arms to cup Sharon's face with his hands. He ignored the pain he was feeling as he leaned in to kiss her. She ran a hand through his hair as she gently, but cautiously, deepened the kiss.

When they parted, they rested forehead against forehead, their noses slightly touching when Sharon teased him, "I thought you promised you'd be still."

Andy arched an eyebrow, faking surprise as he asked her with one of his irresistible Andy Flynn smiles, "Are you complaining?"

"Not at all, Lieutenant." She answered smirking, before adding in a more serious tone, "But now it's time for you to rest, Andy. Seriously."

"Fine, Captain, I'll do it." Then lying his head back on the pillow he cut his eyes back to her, "as long as you lie down with me and get some sleep too."

She was about to object but she gave up when she met his insisting, yet captivating, gaze. She was exhausted, she could not deny it and she would not refuse the chance of sleeping in a bed. She was going to go with it for today. He was about to wrap an arm around her when she stopped him once again, "It will be uncomfortable for you to sleep in this position. No hugging for tonight, those are the rules."

Andy sighed. Sharon was right though. Moving his arms was still difficult and exhausting for him, as he didn't have much strength left after the surgery. Holding her was painful, but he had ignored the pain because the need for contact was too strong. He pouted as he turned to meet her gaze and asked her, "Can I at least hold your hand?"

"Sure," she whispered with a smile. "Doctor Liu did say it was okay to hold hands."

"Well, then, if Doctor Lucifer gave her blessing, I already feel relieved and I will be sleeping more peacefully tonight." He retorted sarcastically.

Sharon rolled her eyes and pretended to look annoyed, "You know that I'd swat you or just leave the room for those comments if it wasn't for the fact that you just had surgery?"

"God, woman, why do you have to mistreat me that way?" he exclaimed with a puppy dog face.

Sharon laughed lightly and she stroked his cheek before whispering in a firm tone, "Now sleep, Andy, or you'll find out what it is like when I really mistreat you." She couldn't hold back a smile when she saw Andy's shocked face and she gave him a quick peck on the lips before lying down.

* * *

Nicole couldn't remember how many times she had walked around the hospital floors, but she now after several passes could easily navigate the labyrinth of corridors. She wanted to be sure to give her father and Sharon enough time to speak and to simply stay in each other's company without someone interfering. Satisfied that she had allowed enough time she retuned to the machine to retrieve a coffee for Sharon before heading back to her father's room. She slowly opened the door and entered the now quiet room.

She immediately stopped in her tracks and a wide smile grew on her face as she saw her father and Sharon lying in bed, fully asleep and holding hands. Nicole looked down at the hot coffee in her hand. She smiled when she thought that Sharon definitely wouldn't need it as she had by her side the only thing – person – she truly needed.

Nicole took a sip of the still hot coffee. Sharon might not need it, but she did. She didn't mind drinking two in a row as she hoped it would kick away her exhaustion. She walked to the door and turned around to look one last time at the sleeping couple. Nicole hoped she and Dean would succeed in having a relationship like the one her father and Sharon shared, where at the end of the day – no matter how the day went– they find their way back to each other's arms. That was the type of relationship definitely worth waiting for.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading! I'd love to hear from you what you thought about this story, so feel free to leave a review. I'd appreciate it very much.**

 **See you soon with another story! ;)**


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